The Project
Connecting to the grid
The electricity generated by the Project will be exported to the national grid via underground electricity cables. It will connect at National Grid’s Melksham Substation located approximately 20 km south of the Solar PV Sites, to the north of Melksham and west of the A350.
Our preferred route
The Cable Route Search Corridor comprises the area in which the Cable Route Corridor would connect the Solar PV Sites to one another (i.e. ‘Interconnecting Cables) and to the existing Melksham Substation.
The cable route corridor would follow an alignment south from the on-site 400 kV substations, going across the M4 near Sevington then to the east of Yatton Keynell continuing to run south across the A420 east of Corsham until it reaches Melksham Substation.
The Cable Route Search Corridor will be further refined as the design progresses and will be a narrower corridor for the final DCO application.
What is a route corridor?
A route corridor is a broad ribbon of land through which an electrical connection could be routed. The corridor may vary in width depending on a range of factors including the location of:
Built up areas where people live
Infrastructure including roads and railway lines.
Physical landscape features as well as other features that may be sensitive in terms of ecology, heritage or landscape.
Protected sites including nature conservation area
Building the connection
We are proposing to build the connection between the solar park, BESS, and the substation by installing underground cable. We are not proposing to use pylons and overhead lines.
Underground cables can be buried in areas without land restrictions. However, after the land is restored, restrictions may be applied to avoid the risk of cables being disturbed or damaged.
A sealing end compound will be needed where a section of underground cable comes above ground. For example, where it joins Melksham Substation.
Stage One Consultation — March 2024
During our initial stage of consultation in March to April 2024, we had identified three broad cable route corridors within which the underground cables could be located.
South from the 400kV substation, going across the M4 near Sevington then to the east of Yatton Keynell continuing to run south across the A420, then west of Gastard and east of Corsham until it reaches Melksham substation.
South from the 400kV substation, crossing the M4 near Leigh Delamere, before continuing to the west of Kington St. Michael, across the A420, east of Gastard and West of Norton.
A route that broadly follows the A350 road having run south from M4 junction 17.
In selecting these route corridors, we have sought to minimise ecological impact and preserve cultural heritage by avoiding designated ecological areas, mature and historic woodlands, listed buildings, scheduled monuments, and conservation areas. Additionally, we have aimed to reduce their length and the number of crossings over roads, railways, watercourses, and hedgerows as much as possible.